We strongly condemn the flogging of Iranian worker, Davood Rafiee
On 22 October 2020, dissident worker, Davood Rafiee, who was fired from Iran Khodro car company, was flogged 74 times for demanding rights and protesting against the dismissal of workers and abuses by the owners. Davood Rafiee was sentenced to flogging for protesting his dismissal and chanting “Down with the Labour Minister”. The authorities had tried to silence him with bribes, including the Labour Minister, who had offered him 200 million Toman (47000 USD), which Davood Rafiee not only did not accept, but exposed the attempt on a placard in front of the Ministry of Labour. These revelations and his role in defending the fired workers and his popularity among the workers increased the anger of the authorities and their judicial system. When his fellow workers went to the court to pursue his case, the sentence was carried out without a final review.
The government of the Islamic Republic is a mafia gang of ruthless and greedy capitalists that continues its disgraceful existence by embezzling the income of the workers, firing, bullying, not paying wages and imposing slavery conditions on the workers. Its response to the legitimate protests of the workers and the people of Iran is flogging, hanging, torture and jail.
Flogging a protesting worker is an attack on the entire working class and all the people. With this atrocity, the desperate criminal Islamic regime wants to push back the widespread protests of the justice-seeking people of Iran who fight to overthrow the Islamic Republic. But flogging workers is a futile effort, since the reaction of the society shows that this kind of attack only encourages public anger and disgust at the ruling Islamic mafia. Davood Rafiee’s voice for justice has not been silenced by Islamic flogging, but is echoed by all the people.
Flogging is part of the disgusting Islamic penal code of the parasitic rulers, which has been condemned not only by workers but also by many women, teachers, students and dissident youth. The Islamic Republic has achieved nothing but more public anger and disgust.
The Worker-communist Party of Iran strongly condemns this brazenness of the regime and will actively work for the mobilisation of workers and people in Iran and globally against this government and the brutality of its judges and those involved. Whipping is a barbaric punishment that belongs to the era of ignorance and savagery, and the Islamic regime, by resorting to this heinous punishment against the protesting people, has condemned itself before the entire humanity. The situation in Iran clearly shows that the day is not far when the people, outraged with poverty, high prices and savagery, will overthrow the barbaric Islamic regime with their revolution and for forever discard its reactionary laws. We call on all workers, students and women, and all workers’ and human rights organisations to strongly condemn the flogging of Davood Rafiee. We must work together to make the Islamic Republic regret this brutal action against the workers.
Down with the Islamic Republic of Iran!
For freedom, equality, workers’ rule!
Worker-communist Party of Iran
27 November 2020
(Translated from Farsi original)
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